Profound Quote Sums Up Why It’s So Important to Enjoy the Process
One of the most important things I do as a mental skills coach is teach clients how to enjoy the process of pursuing difficult goals. As I wrote yesterday, when you don’t enjoy the process, little challenges feel like big challenges and 20 minutes of hard work feels like 20 hours. This is a recipe for failure. On the other hand, when you do enjoy the process it’s enjoyable to overcome challenges and hard work breeds satisfaction. This is a recipe for success.
The reason why I must teach clients this is because it’s almost a universal experience to want something but not like the process it takes to get what you want. For example, many people want to be wealthy, but don’t like doing what it takes on a day-to-day basis to build wealth. As a result, they go through life experiencing the pain of lacking what they want instead of enjoying what they have. This then leads to a cycle of procrastination, unhappiness and ultimately a life full of regrets.
This conflict between wanting and liking is why it’s so important to learn how to enjoy the process. In his book Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness, Psychologist and New York Times best-selling author Rick Hanson, Ph.D. sums this up in a simple yet profound quote.
Hanson writes:
There’s a saying that liking without wanting is heaven, but wanting without liking is hell.
Let this simple little quote serve as a reminder for you as you pursue your goals. It must never be about the goal, the outcome. Putting all your focus there will trap you in mental purgatory. You must change your mindset. Let go of your wants and focus on your likes. Then use those likes to fuel a process to get you what you want.